Group announces bid to recall Supervisor Susan Adams

A San Rafael citizens group apparently irritated about housing plans and related county issues wants to recall Supervisor Susan Adams, saying she has failed to represent her constituents.

The group, a coalition headed by Carol Joyce Sheerin of Cedar Hill Drive in north San Rafael, filed a formal notice with the county Wednesday declaring its intention to circulate recall petitions to oust Adams from office.

"Grounds for the recall are as follows: Supervisor Adams' continued failure to represent her constituents," the statement says without elaboration. It was signed by 27 residents.

After Adams files a formal response that must be included on the recall petition, and the petition is certified, the group has 120 days to gather the signatures of 6,368 registered voters in the San Rafael supervisorial district, according to Registrar of Voters Elaine Ginnold.

Sheerin, reached at home Thursday afternoon, said she could make no statement on behalf of the group pending a meeting later in the day. She described herself as co-leader of the group, but declined to say who the other leader was. "We can't talk to you yet," she said.

Carolyn Lenert, head of the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents, was among signers of the statement filed by Sheerin, but could not be reached for comment.

Sheerin, a San Rafael resident since 1967 active in past campaigns to buy open space, save Falkirk mansion and block the old Renaissance Faire from locating in Lucas Valley, said she is personally angry because "none of the supervisors in Marin County are representing their constituents."

County officials, she said, are ignoring the "voices of the people" by pushing for high-density housing plans proposed by regional government, and disruptive freeway improvement programs such as the Corte Madera interchange project.

Adams said she was surprised by the recall move, adding she expected instead to face an opponent in the 2014 election for her supervisorial seat.

"I felt like somebody was going to file papers to run against me," she said in brief comments when she arrived at the county elections office Thursday for a meeting with Ginnold on recall election procedure. Citizens are talking recall in apparent protest to plans for low- and moderate-income housing in Marinwood and at Grady Ranch, she said.

"I don't even support 30-unit-per-acre zoning at Grady," Adams said.

Adams said that with a constellation of controversial proposals swirling at once — including a regional housing program, a high-density rezoning plan and efforts allowing low-cost housing complexes in neighborhoods — "there is a lot of deep-seated fear in the community."

Ginnold said that in light of a number of variables, "including the number of signatures they have to get," it is unlikely any recall election would appear on the November ballot. But a successful effort to collect valid signatures could force an election at about the same time Adams must stand for re-election next spring.